SERGEANT JAMES D. WALLACE

BADGE 1189, ID 2143

SDPD 03/28/1975 - 10/10/2000

09/30/1945 - 01/27/2024

THE THIN BLUE LINE

CDR James D. Wallace, III, ("Jim"), 78, of Jackson, Michigan, passed quietly away in Murrieta, California, on January 27, 2024—a departure from the life he lived. 

Jim was born September 30, 1945, to Betty Jean Yeager (member of the WWII – WAVES), and retired U.S. Navy Captain, James D Wallace, II, who are resting at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and Arlington National Cemetery, respectively.

At 19, Jim married Anne Klaren (19) and had a son named James D. Wallace, IV—they divorced three months later. 

After completing two years at Mesa Community College, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Army military police and qualified for the subspecialty in criminal investigations which lead him to perform his first counterintelligence investigation in Seoul, Korea. During his twenty-month investigation, he met Kyeong Park and her son, Joseph.

Jim and Kyeong were married at the airport in Seoul enroute to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Their son, Robert Scott, was born at Fort Bragg two years later. Jim served in the U.S. Army from 1969-1980, leaving with the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) and several military police and counterintelligence analyst subspecialties, including an offer to join U.S Army Special Forces as an 18F, Intelligence Sergeant.

In 1975, Jim applied to the San Diego Police Department and eventually retired as a sergeant after 25 years (1975-2000).

In 1982, Jim finished his bachelor's degree from NYU Regents and obtained his commission in the U.S. Navy—joining the Wallace family tradition of military service dating back to before the American Revolution. 

Spanning his 18 years as a Naval Intelligence Officer, he served in prominent commands such as SEAL TEAM 1/3/5 and Joint Intelligence Command – Pacific. He was tasked with numerous HUMINT gathering operations including several during Desert Shield/Storm, eventually leading to his last assignment as team leader of the Kosovo War investigation on behalf of the United Nations.

After retiring from the U.S. Navy and San Diego Police Department, Jim worked as a military contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan in counterintelligence for such notable companies as L3 Communications and Phoenix Defense.

Jim was a proud veteran who served his country with a reputation as an honest cop who followed the rules and played by the book. But most importantly, he was a devoted husband, loving father, and caring grandfather who adored his wife of 52 years, Kyeong. Whether watching the Chargers, reading Tom Clancy novels, or talking politics, Jim was always available for witty repartee—armed with enormous mental horsepower. 

Jim is predeceased by his stepson, Joseph, and survived by his sister, Jean Ellen Falk of Meridian, ID; sons, James (IV) of Flower Mound, TX and Robert Scott of Round Rock, TX; granddaughters, Tristan, Delaney, Olivia, Emmy-Jo, and Coralyn; and grandsons, James (V), and Jaxsun.

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